We’ve got a record number of developers creating applications for a host of mobile devices at the moment. We have granted 70 licences to 3rd party developers of which 30 are for mobile apps on the market or in development. Our real time information allows you to find out if a train is running on time, delayed on route or cancelled. You can get information about which apps use our licenced info on our Travel Tools page.

NRE were part of Microsoft’s annual Hack Day where over 200 developers were allowed access to our live departure information feed to see who could develop the best application. There were some great apps developed and we’re looking forward to granting some licence applications. Any developers out there that would like to use our info can apply for a licence here.

Some months ago I wrote to tell you that our journey planner can now plan journeys to London Underground Zone 1 and all Docklands Light Railway stations. You simply type the name of the station you want to travel to or from into the journey planner, and we’ll plan your journey for you – including the walking time it takes to get from the railway station to the underground station where necessary.

What you might not have known, is that our website can also give you travel updates for the London Underground both happening at the moment, and for the coming weekend. All you have to do is visit our Tube Service Updates page.

If you want to travel outside of zone 1, or you need to check your route, you can take a look at the interactive map which allows you to search for a particular station.

If you make a journey regularly, or have a flexible ticket why not print your own timetable? Our Pocket Timetable tool gives you the flexibility to create a timetable that is tailored to your own individual journey. You tell us where you’re starting and ending your journey, and when you want to travel. We’ll then give you a custom timetable which you can save as a PDF for use on your computer or smartphone, or print it out to take with you!

Finally – a little sneak preview – at the end of next month, we’re going to be making changes to the journey planner which will allow you to plan your journey to or from a postcode. The journey planner will then give you various options of the nearest local and main stations for you to make your journey.

If you’re happy using the website – either the main site or PDA version – then that’s great. Some people have expressed a preference for using an app and we’ve allowed developers to access our information in order that these apps can be created with consistent information.

Thanks for your comment. Firstly, just to explain the journey planner works by offering the fastest journey by default, which in this case is via London.

You’re exactly right that you need to add in a ‘via’ station in order to avoid London if you want to miss out the tube. However, by choosing Gatwick/Reading, you’re not going a different way – the train would travel through Gatwick, and through Reading on its way into and out of London.

The way to achieve your journey is to find a station on the route around London – I chose Guildford, and have managed to find trains that avoid London completely. Alternatively, if you choose “include interchange” (this means “change at”) at Gatwick Airport, you’ll achieve the same result.

Hope that helps – any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get back to me. We’ve also got some changes in the pipeline to change the “include interchange” wording to make it more obvious what it does!